Mac and Cheese CaseFile #24877-B: Four-Cheese Log, Part One

i was thinking of starting with kate mantilini, but if i can squeeze, i’ll get all of the four reviews into one. i just hope it isn’t overkill. don’t publish anything yet, i need to check for typos. since i’m mac n cheese with lots of typos mair.

June was a whirlwind macaroni and cheese traveling month for me, as you can see, I hit up four posts and as I expected, not as good as Violet. I wonder if you guys think I’m an undercover partner of Violet and I am not, that is why I spend a few hundred dollars in a month eating out.

Okay, back to the good stuff. June was indeed a whirlwind. Let’s start off with Cliff’s Edge.
Have you noticed how some losanjealous restaurants are very pretty, glam and chic? Maybe a little too pretty, glam and chic that there is no way the food could be good or worth the cost? Well that partially describes my experience at Cliff’s Edge. I oooh’d and ahhh’d when I first walked in, since what can be done with an unmarked restaurant that people know as the place next to the 99Â¢ Store. It was definitely a delight to the eyes, the garden is very nice and would be a great date place if all you were after is a outdoor environment that did not consist of rickety and uncomfortable wrought iron tables and chairs as found at most losanjealous cafes known for people watching. Truth be told, I do not go to many restaurants where I have paid more than $30 for my food alone and Cliff’s Edge is a more upscale restaurant and my job is to review the delicious concoction made from cheese and macaroni or similar pasta.

Anyway, back to this review. First Rule I learned in June, do not trust someone who works at a restaurant when they tell you the food you are wondering about is great, especially when it involves macaroni and cheese. I should have known that it wasn’t a good sign when the four-cheese pasta did not even list the four cheeses with the description. Also, I used to work at a restaurant and I was honest about the food and sure it got me fired, but honesty is the policy I live by. Dagnabbit, what other policy is there? They lying kind, well no, I will not live by that.

I am a big fan of more than two friends eating out because it allows me to try more food, since the food I order is usually a liability so I need other food to pick at when I face disappointment. At Cliff’s Edge there were four of us and we each got different entrees. We started with the calamari which were the actually little squids and not just strips or rings. My favorite are the little legs, hehe. This appetizer dish was good. Lamb Chops, Risotto with Shrimp and Pamesan, Rissoto with Peas and Carrots and of course, the Four Cheese Pasta.

Every plate looked great and even smelled great. Here is where I learned the Second Rule: Sight and Smell are the two senses that fool you most, especially me. I don’t understand how I can read a menu item description and say, “oohh that sounds really good” without really thinking critically because no matter what, I think macaroni and cheese is the best combination to come to food, ever! This time my sight and smell senses failed me. One bite of the Baked Macaroni and I thought, “What the hell? What kind of stinky yucky cheese did they put in this horrible dish?” Of the four of us, only one person liked the Baked Macaroni and cheese enough to state that “It’s not that bad” whereas I looked like a very unhappy camper, with my arms crossed. That did not last very long because I then tried the other dishes and I wasn’t as disappointed but still not impressed.

The Lamb Chops also looked and smelled great, I however do not eat lamb so I did not try it. From what I heard from the others was that they it was good. They Au Gratin potatoes that came with the dish were also good, however I could not tell the difference between the fresh version and the one that comes in a box made by Betty Crocker. The Green Risotto was decent, it had a very healthy taste to it, if there was any cream or butter in the dish it was not significant with the flavor of the peas, spinach and carrots overwhelming the dish. Lastly there was the Shimp Risotto, this dish I would definitely order again. It was light, the shrimp was prepared well with the risotto and creamy tomato sauce combo, I could not stop picking off of April’s plate but I knew she didn’t mind since I hated my plate so much.

To figure out if I was crazy or if my taste buds are off, I brought home leftovers for my sister (the best homemade macaroni and cheese baker aside from the chef at Violet). Later that night she did eat the pasta and she thought, “Ick, they put bleu cheese in there” and I remembered how I hate bleu cheese and I never eat it so I just know it as the disgusting flavor. However, I do not plenty of people who love cobb salad and bleu cheese, perhaps if you want some fancy losanjealous macaroni and cheese you should try Cliff’s Edge’s version and let me know what you think. If it were up to me I would give their Baked Macaroni a “D” in the Mac â€˜N Cheese Hall of Fame.

mair, i thought of you recently when dining at marie callender’s. ok, it’s not the coolest restaurant in LA, but their mac-n-cheese is quite tasty and you never get attitude from the waiters. i’m sure it’s not as good as violet’s, but it’s a reliable back-up plan.

I love Mair’s reviews. I feel the same way about french toast. Constantly disappointed but always searching too. Backdoor Bakery has the best french toast I have encountered in LA, outside of my dad’s french toast, in case you were wondering.